1 Samuel 19

Verses 4-5, "Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, 'Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. He took his life in his hands when he saw the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?'"

Jonathan was the ultimate advocate for David. Because Jonathan went and spoke the truth to Saul, David was safe and was even restored back to Saul. We all need people like Jonathan in our lives. But we can't just be looking for a Jonathan, we must be a Jonathan. I need to consistently look for opportunities to be an advocate for people. I want to speak highly of and encourage others. I want to be able to prevent harm from happening to the people around me.

I know I need a Jonathan, but I also must be certain that I have the heart of Jonathan for others.

Easter Desktop Graphic

This is the graphic I use for my desktop. If you want to also use it at work as a way to start a conversation that may lead to inviting people on Easter, right click and set it as your desktop background.

1 Samuel 18

Verse 14, "In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him."

Our success is not our own. David was able to do what he did BECAUSE God was with him. There is no mention that David did something and then God blessed him. Every action and every step that David took was directed by God. He defeated the armies because of God. He was not pinned to the wall by Saul's spear because God was with with.

I don't ever want to be seen as successful because of my doing. I don't ever want to take credit for the work of God. Charter Oak Church is the Bride of Christ. It is God who brings the growth. It is God who draws people here. It is God who transforms lives for eternity. I want success in the eyes of God and for God to get all the praise and glory for what is happening in my life.

Quote on Character

"Character is the inner form that makes anyone or anything what it is - whether a person, a wine, or a historical period. Thus character is clearly distinct from such concepts as personality, image, reputation, or celebrity. Character is the essential 'stuff' a person is made of." - Os Guinness

Interesting Quote

I just found this quote from Penn of Penn and Teller, very interesting...

"I don't respect people who don't proselytize. If you believe that there's a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell, and you think, 'Well, it's not really worth telling them this because it would be socially awkward'...How much do you have to hate somebody not to proselytize?"

Wow! Now that puts things into perspective.

Jesus Kicked Satan's Butt on Easter

Jesus kicked Satan's butt on Easter! I just had to get that out there because what is going to be happening on Easter weekend (April 11/12) at Charter Oak Church isn't going to be a run of the mill church service. If we can't get out on the edge to proclaim the truth about Jesus on Easter then what's the point? There are 33,000 people within a five mile radius of Charter Oak Church that do not have a church home. Is that acceptable? I don't think so. There are 222,000 people in Westmoreland County that don't have a church home. Is it ok that a vast majority of those people will be spending eternity apart from God? No way!

Two thousand years ago when Mary got to the tomb it was empty! Come on, if that doesn't set your hair on fire then I don't know what will. Sin was kicked to the curb. Satan was sent home defeated. God wins! Jesus is the Man!

Over the next couple of weeks I hope and pray that you will do everything you can to invest and invite someone in your circle of influence to worship with us at Charter Oak Church. The people of this region need to hear about God's great love for them. This is critical.

Let me make this crystal clear, no matter what CNN says, it's not about the economy. It's about Jesus.

1 Samuel 17

Verses 51-52, "David ran and stood over him, he took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gathes of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron."

What is fascinating about this story for me is what one man who is obedient to God can do to encourage an army to act. Thousands of men are lined up for battle, but it is one man on the other side who is bringing down curses and threats that paralyze all those men. Saul, their leader is hiding in the back. Because they don't have a leader who will be courageous and trust God to do what only God can do, the army doesn't move.

It is only when David comes to the front lines and believes that it is God that brings the victory, not the army, that the battle begins.

When a man after God's own heart believes that it is God that is in charge then the people of God that he is leading will be able to do everything that God wants them to do. If I will fear God and not man, if I will believe that the victory is in God's hands and not mine, if I will put my confidence in him and be courageous, then everything we are to accomplish at Charter Oak Church will be done.

Easter Series

1 Samuel 16

Verse 21, "David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David become one of his armor-bearers."

How quickly life can change. In one moment Samuel is mourning the demise of Saul. In the next moment he is being moved into the role of anointing the next leader of Israel. David is standing in the meadow watching over his father's sheep and then he is ushered into the presence of God's prophet and has oil poured over his head and his anointed the new king. Then he turns around and is invited to be a servant to Saul in order to ease his pain. You can't make this stuff up!

What allows all of this to happen is character. Poor character on Saul's part and godly character on David's. God tells Samuel it is the heart that matters not the looks. David is immediately put to the test with this invitation to be in the service of Saul. David knows what has happened to him and he knows it is from God. Yet, David goes to Saul and serves him well. How many of us today would be willing to do that?

I must remember that no matter what the assignment from God I must do it with the greatest amount of integrity as possible. There is nothing I should be doing poorly. I certainly shouldn't be doing everything, but what I do I must do with excellence. Saul was pleased with David. People aren't pleased with lazy, sloppy, late work. When I serve, I not only am serving the person before me, I am serving God.

1 Samuel 15

Verse 26, "But Samuel said to him, 'I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!"

God wants total obedience. There is no such things as partial obedience. You can't be kind of pregnant and you can't be kind of obedient. Saul got into his mind what he thought God wanted. He didn't follow through as God commanded him. Saul was more influenced by what others would think than what God would think. And it cost him everything.

I'm sure there are people who read this and ask if it isn't a bit extreme. In asking that question they miss the whole point that this is all about God and our obedience to Him. The scale of the command has nothing to do with the level of obedience - you either follow God or not. This account just makes it crystal clear what God demands of us - total obedience.

Reading this today reminds me to be absolutely certain that what I am doing and where I am leading is in total alignment with where God is commanding. I don't want to be influenced by man, only by God. I want to be obedient. I don't want to lose God's favor. I don't want God to reject me. I want to please God. I want to honor God. I want to love God with all of my heart, all of my mind, all of my soul, and all of my strength.

Sweet 16

March Madness is upon us, well, it's upon me. I love this time of the year. I don't know if it is because I went to an ACC school, I mean THE ACC school - Duke, but there is definitely something about this part of the sports season that I love. This past weekend the Sweet 16 was set. One of the things that is so compelling about the tournament is the ability of major underdog teams to defeat powerhouse schools. That didn't really happen this year on the men's side. For the first time ever, the top three seeds in all four sections made it to the Sweet 16. No real major upsets. There have been plenty of end of the game heroics for the higher seeded team to win, but in the end they did win.

All this means I have done pretty well in my brackets, I have 13 of the 16 teams. I had Clemson, Wake Forrest, and Kansas winning, but they didn't. After watching as many games as I could, I am still pleased with the rest of my picks.

This morning when I woke up to Sports Center, I was gifted with what has been missing from the men's side to some degree. The lady Vols lost in the first round over the weekend. Now they were seeded fourth, but if there is a powerhouse in women's basketball it is Tennessee. Their coach has more wins than any other coach, men or women. They have been great for a long time. They lost to a team they would have in any other year beat by 40 points.

I'm not sure why this pleased me today other than to keep the hope alive that the underdog still has a chance. I still believe that the NCAA tournament is the best way to determine the national championship and no matter what record you had coming into the tournament, everyone starts out 0-0 and the last team standing is the best.

1 Samuel 12

Verse 22-25, "For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was please to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I'll teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away."

The Israelites just found out how big of a mistake they made in asking for a king. There are always repercussions to our decisions. Here's what most people forget, why it is that decisions like these break God's heart: our decisions are made on what we believe. Therefore the decision that the Israelites made about asking for a king revealed that they believed that God Almighty wasn't good enough to meet their military needs. Ouch!

Every decision I make is based on what I believe. I may say I believe differently but who makes decisions based on the opposite of what they truly believe? If I am too busy to pray or read my Bible that means I believe my work is more important than God. No one would really admit to that would they? I could come up with tons of decisions that I make that really reveal my heart and my relationship with my God that I don't want to look at too deeply, but I need to.

Here's the thing I love about this passage, Samuel says there is still hope. Even though they rejected God, God has not rejected them. They need to fear God and serve Him faithfully with all their heart. God's grace was evident. He can't turn off His love for us. I am so thankful.

1 Samuel 11

Verse 13, "But Saul said, 'No one shall be put to death today, for this day the Lord has rescued Israel.'"

Saul had his chance to get rid of those who were against him. He could have removed them completely and shown everyone else that came against him what the result would be. Instead, Saul was compassionate. He kept his focus on God. It was God's day, not Saul's day. He wanted to celebrate what God had done on the battle field in rescuing his people.

I must remember that today is the day that the Lord has made and rejoice in it. God is my rescue and my shield. God is my Savior. God loves me and wants the best for me. When people speak against me they speak against Him. I put my trust in Him. This is His day.

1 Samuel 10

Verses 26-27, "Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. But some troublemakers said, 'How can this fellow save us?' They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent."

These two verses are a reminder to me that there are always going to be people for me and against me, no matter what. I love the description of valiant men whose hearts God had touched. I need more and more of these kinds of people around me. I want people that God has touched in a unique way. The use of the word valiant also tells me that this is not easy work being the spiritual leader. There will be difficult times. But I am not called to walk alone, God has provided valiant people around me who will be there for me even in the difficult times. I thank God for people like that. (You know who you are, thank you.)

There will also be that other element of people who want to cause me trouble. But I truly believe in Ephesians 6 that these people are not my enemy and I do not struggle against them. It is satan who is against the work of Jesus in me. I will do my best to love those people, I'm sure I fail often, but I do want to love them no matter how they treat me.

Finally, Saul kept silent. I need to listen more and speak less, especially when I am being attacked. God is fighting for me.

1 Samuel 9

Verse 27, "As they were going down to the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, 'Tell the servant to go on ahead of us' - and the servant did so - 'but you stay here awhile, so that I may give you a message from God.'"

I wonder how many times I am in such a hurry that I miss out on a message from God? Saul and his servant were in search of his father's donkeys and were gone a long time. They were about his father's business and needed to get home. Yet here is Samuel throwing Saul a dinner party, giving him the very best, and telling him that the donkeys have been found. Saul has no clue what is really going on and what is about to happen.

I think we all walk in that arena most of the time. We don't really know what is happening on the spiritual side of things. We can't see how God is behind the scenes preparing and working.

In a few moments Saul is going to have his entire world changed and he doesn't even know it. I wonder what would have happened if Saul didn't stay with Samuel? I wonder how many times I should have stayed awhile, but didn't, and missed joining God in His work?

1 Samuel 8

Verses 19-20, "But the people refused to listen to Samuel. 'No!' they said. 'We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.'"

We want someone else to fight our battles. We want someone else to go out and take the heat for the mistakes and the decisions that we have made. Why? I don't know, but I know I do this too. It just seems so much easier to have this kind of attitude over faith and obedience to God. The truth is, God wants to fight our battles. God wants to protect us. God wants to display the fullness of His love and mercy into our lives. We choose to send someone else who can't do any of that. We get out of it exactly what we put into it.

This breaks God's heart. Forgive me, Father.

Acts 12

Verse 5, "So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him."

Verse 24, "But the word of God continued to increase and spread."

Persecution was often used to stop a movement. Throughout Acts we see that the persecution of the church, whether it was of her leader (Peter) or others, didn't work. In fact, the church grew and more and more people became followers of Jesus.

I love that the entire church prayed earnestly for Peter. How powerful of an image that is for me as the pastor of Charter Oak Church. The result of that prayer is nothing short of extraordinary! Many probably want to discount this story, but I believe it demonstrates what can happen when the people of God join their hearts and voices together in unity through prayer.

When this happens, God moves. And when God moves the number of people who become believers and followers of Jesus increases.

Acts 11

Verses 19-21, "Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the Good News about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord."

In the last chapter, Peter went to a group of people he was not historically allowed to speak with or even enter their home. However, Peter was faithful to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and shared the story of Jesus with Cornelius and many others in his home. This set off a domino affect that spreads throughout the entire region. Followers of Jesus now have the confidence of spreading their faith in Jesus to others who do not know Him. Lives are being changed. It began with one man saying yes to God.

I wonder what would happen if every time the Holy Spirit prompted me to act or to speak I was obedient. And I wonder what would happen if the Holy Spirit was silent that I was silent and still. What a difference that would be in my life. And if Acts 11 is any indicator, my obedience would have broader implications. Now that's something to think about.

Acts 10

Verse 33, "Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us."

This verse is part of many verses in this chapter that shows how Cornelius filled his home with his friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family members so they could hear Peter share the story of Jesus. He knew Peter was coming and that God was going to do something so he made sure that as many people as he could get into his home would be there. When Peter showed up and started sharing the truth about Jesus, the Holy Spirit also showed up - big time in the hearts and lives of those present. They became believers and followers of Jesus.

All of this happened because one man - Cornelius took a risk and invested and invited people in his circle of influence to hear God's message. That's how lives are changed for eternity!

We all need to have the heart and courage of Cornelius.

Books...

Book I Just Finished: What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith

Book I just picked up: Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Book I I wish I had: Monkey and the Fish: Liquid Leadership for a Third-Culture Church by Dave Gibbons